Can You Cook an Ancient Core in Breath of the Wild? A Comprehensive Guide
The short answer is no, you can’t cook an Ancient Core and create a palatable dish in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. While Link is a master chef capable of whipping up countless culinary creations, Ancient Cores fall into a unique category of ingredients that often lead to unfortunate – and questionably edible – results. Let’s delve into the specifics of why Ancient Cores don’t belong in your cooking pot and explore their more appropriate uses.
The Dubious Truth About Ancient Materials and Cooking
Breath of the Wild offers a deep and rewarding cooking system. Experimentation is encouraged, and the combinations seem endless. However, the game has some hard and fast rules, especially when it comes to mixing ancient materials with traditional food ingredients. Ancient Cores, along with other ancient parts like Screws, Shafts, and Gears, will inevitably lead to Dubious Food when cooked with anything other than monster parts and critters for elixirs.
Dubious Food, as the name suggests, provides minimal health restoration and often lacks any beneficial effects. While it’s technically food, it’s far from an optimal choice for sustaining Link on his adventures. Think of it as the culinary equivalent of a failed experiment – interesting, but ultimately unproductive.
What Happens When You Try?
If you decide to throw an Ancient Core into a cooking pot with, say, some Hyrule Herbs and Raw Meat, the game mechanics will override any potential benefits of the other ingredients. You’ll be left with a concoction that looks unappetizing and offers little nutritional value. It’s a lesson best learned once, as the resources used could have been put to far better use!
More Worthwhile Uses for Ancient Cores
Since Ancient Cores are culinary outcasts, what can you do with them? Thankfully, they have several far more valuable applications:
1. Crafting and Upgrading at the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab
This is by far the most significant use for Ancient Cores. At the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab, Robbie needs Ancient Cores to craft and upgrade powerful ancient technology, including:
- Ancient Armor Set: This set, when fully upgraded, provides incredible defense and resistance to guardian attacks.
- Ancient Weapons: Robbie can create devastating weapons like the Ancient Bow, Ancient Sword, and Ancient Spear. These weapons boast high attack power and durability against specific types of enemies.
2. Creating Elixirs
While Ancient Cores don’t mix well with regular food, they can be combined with critters (frogs, lizards, insects) to create elixirs. Like monster parts, combining them will produce valuable and potentially beneficial elixirs. For instance, if you combine an Ancient Core with a Hightail Lizard, you’ll create a speed-boosting elixir.
3. Dyeing Clothes
The Kochi Dye Shop in Hateno Village will accept Ancient Cores as an ingredient to create gray dye for Link’s clothing. This is a less common use, but it allows for cosmetic customization.
4. Selling to Kilton
Kilton, the eccentric monster enthusiast, will purchase Ancient Cores at his shop, the Fang and Bone. He trades in a unique currency called Mon, which can be used to purchase rare monster-themed items.
Giant Ancient Cores: A Step Up in Value
Giant Ancient Cores are even rarer and more valuable than regular Ancient Cores. They serve the same purposes, but they’re generally required for crafting the most powerful ancient equipment, such as the Ancient Bow and other late-game upgrades.
The Ancient Oven at the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab requires Giant Ancient Cores to make several pieces of Ancient Soldier Gear. Securing the ancient bow from the oven will necessitate the use of ancient cores.
Ancient Core Muck
The text mentions Ancient Core Muck, but it doesn’t pertain to Breath of the Wild. This item is specific to a different game and is used to repair a Shipwreck’s engine. It has no function within Breath of the Wild.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Ancient Cores
Here are some commonly asked questions about Ancient Cores in Breath of the Wild:
1. What’s the best way to farm Ancient Cores?
Defeating Guardian Stalkers is an effective method for farming Ancient Cores. They have a reasonable chance of dropping them upon defeat, and they respawn with each Blood Moon. Hyrule Field and Hyrule Castle are prime locations for finding Guardian Stalkers.
2. Do all Guardians drop Ancient Cores?
Not all Guardians guarantee an Ancient Core drop, but Guardian Stalkers, Skywatchers, and Turrets have a higher chance. The smaller Guardian Scouts in Shrines can occasionally drop them as well, especially the higher-level versions.
3. Can I buy Ancient Cores?
Yes, you can purchase Ancient Cores from the traveling merchant Teli. He wanders the road between Hateno Village and Fort Hateno. He often sells Ancient Screws, Ancient Springs, and Ancient Gears. On rainy days, he’ll also offer Ancient Shafts and Ancient Cores. But remember he will only sell 1 core per day.
4. Are Giant Ancient Cores really that rare?
Yes, Giant Ancient Cores are quite rare. They have a low drop rate from Guardians. While the drop rate might seem low (around 5% from a Guardian that drops 10-12 items), farming Guardians diligently will eventually yield results. The battlefields surrounding Hyrule Castle offer the greatest concentration of guardians.
5. What is the primary use of Ancient Cores early in the game?
Early in the game, Ancient Cores are incredibly valuable for upgrading your Sheikah Slate at the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab. Upgrading the Stasis Rune, in particular, is incredibly useful for combat and exploration.
6. Is Stasis+ worth the Ancient Cores?
Many players consider Stasis+ to be well worth the investment. It allows you to freeze enemies, including Guardians, for a longer duration, giving you more time to strategize and attack.
7. Does the Blood Moon respawn Guardians?
Yes, the Blood Moon event resets the game world, including respawning defeated Guardians. This makes it possible to continually farm them for parts.
8. What’s the difference between an Ancient Core and a Giant Ancient Core?
Both serve the same purpose: crafting ancient weapons and armor. However, Giant Ancient Cores are much rarer and are typically required for crafting the most powerful equipment.
9. What’s the deal with Dubious Food?
Dubious Food is the unfortunate result of combining incompatible ingredients, such as ancient parts and food. It provides minimal health restoration and lacks any beneficial effects.
10. Can I use Ancient Cores to upgrade armor other than the Ancient Armor?
No, Ancient Cores are specifically used to craft the Ancient Armor set and weapons at the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab. Other armor sets require different materials for upgrades.
11. Are Ancient Arrows worth the Ancient Core cost?
Ancient Arrows are powerful arrows that instantly defeat most enemies (excluding bosses and certain constructs). The cost of crafting them can be high, but they can be incredibly useful in difficult situations.
12. Where can I find a reliable source of Guardians?
Hyrule Field and the area around Hyrule Castle are teeming with Guardians, making them ideal locations for farming Ancient Cores.
13. Do Lynels drop Ancient Cores?
Lynels do not drop Ancient Cores. They drop other valuable materials, such as Lynel Hooves and Lynel Guts, but you’ll need to focus on Guardians for Ancient Core farming.
14. What’s the best way to deal with Guardian Stalkers?
Effective strategies for dealing with Guardian Stalkers include:
- Parrying their laser beams: A perfectly timed parry will reflect the beam back at the Guardian, dealing significant damage.
- Cutting off their legs: Using weapons with high cutting power, such as swords or axes, you can sever their legs to immobilize them.
- Using Ancient Arrows: A single Ancient Arrow will instantly defeat most Guardian Stalkers.
15. Are there any glitches related to Ancient Cores?
Like many games, Breath of the Wild has a few known glitches. However, there are no significant or widely exploited glitches specifically related to Ancient Cores that drastically alter their functionality or availability.
In conclusion, while you can’t create a gourmet meal with Ancient Cores in Breath of the Wild, they are essential components for crafting powerful weapons and armor. Focus on farming Guardians, visiting Teli on rainy days, and utilizing them at the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab to unlock their true potential. And remember, if you are interested in understanding the educational aspects of gaming, visit GamesLearningSociety.org.